Plea
by ForestFireSong
Summary: Kyoko stood in front of Mami's apartment, staring at the closed door and begging with the girl she had stopped talking to long ago. And even though the door was unlocked, even though it was cracked slightly, the red-haired girl didn't go in, because after all this time, she knew she didn't deserve to.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I need to straighten some things out! So, this is based on Madoka Magica 'A Different Story'- but only volume one. I realize that in A Different Story things progress quite differently compared to the anime. That said, consider this fic as taking place in the anime's timeline or one incredibly similar. In this, Mami and Kyoko have the same relationship they had in ADS, but after they broke apart, Mami died and, well, you all know how it goes from there **

**Anyway, I'm not too sure how I feel about this. I've wanted to write it for a long time but the end result isn't what I wanted. But anyway, I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Kyoko stood in front of the apartment door that had once been so familiar to her. She hadn't thought about it for awhile- or at least, she had tried not to think about it. But standing in front of the door, staring at the nameplate that still read 'Tomoe', there was no way she couldn't remember Mami.

She sighed softly. A breeze swept up her hair and leaves scattered.

When Kyoko had first come to the apartment, she had tested the door handle. It wasn't locked, and she easily could've gone in. But she couldn't bring herself to go into the apartment that had once been prettily decorated by Mami, where the older girl would smile and laugh and hold tea parties. It would be painful to see all that; it would be even more painful to see all of it gone, leaving behind only an empty, hollow shell.

It was winter the last time Kyoko had been in there. Cold, soft flakes of snow drifting down. Now the air was warm and the sky bright. It was a completely different reality.

The winter where Mami had been alive. The spring where she had passed.

"_Sakura-san."_

_Kyoko looked up from her box of pocky to meet the eyes of the girl across from her. Homura's expression was blank as usual, her dark eyes showing no emotion. _

"_Did you hear what happened to Tomoe Mami?"_

_Upon hearing the name, Kyoko couldn't control the widening of her eyes. It was one that'd been said in her head many times, but not since the two had broken ties had she heard it aloud. _

"_What?"_

"_She was killed by a witch not to long ago. Beheaded, in fact." Kyoko stared at Homura, not comprehending how the girl's tone remained flat. "I knew the witch was dangerous, and I tried to warn her. Although I am somewhat surprised, as her death seems to have happened partially due to overconfidence on her part."_

"_And you know this how?"_

"_I was in the witch's maze to warn her. Nonetheless, she trapped me to prevent me from following her. I believe you are familiar with this technique." Kyoko huffed but couldn't draw her gaze away._

"_When my bonds disappeared I knew something had happened. I couldn't allow her to bring harm to Madoka, so I followed her farther into the maze." Homura shrugged, flipping her hair off her shoulder in one smooth, elegant motion. One that always annoyed the crap out of Kyoko._

"_So that's it then? Dead in a witch's maze?" The mixture of emotions she felt came out as anger, and Kyoko was temporarily satisfied with its burn._

"_That's it." Homura repeated. "And now Miki-san is creating a mess of things."_

_Kyoko let out a low growl, but even she didn't know who it was directed at. _

It hadn't actually been that long since Mami died. But it had been a long time since Kyoko had seen her, and the red-haired girl had grappled with what she was feeling ever since Homura had shared with her the news.

_Regret…? _

Maybe. Probably. But she had little time to deal with it, since in the wake of her death Mami had left behind a new problem.

And because of that, dead or not, Kyoko needed her help.

"Mami-san," Kyoko began hesitantly. Already she felt stupid. Mami was dead and her apartment was empty, and yet she stood in front of it in the fading red light of the sunset, talking to her.

The notion that anyone was watching over her was one that Kyoko had abandoned long ago. And Mami, who had been lonely but still kind, Mami, who Kyoko had left knowing all that… Ridiculous.

Kyoko had to try anyway. Who was there to turn to?

"You know Sayaka, right? Of course you do, she was there when you died. I don't know...I don't know what to do with her."

Miki Sayaka. Similar to Mami with her high-minded ideals and 'defender of justice' routine, different in that she lacked the other's gentle personality and senpai-like nature (if that was even a way to refer to it). Instead she was brazen and even more naive, and grated on Kyoko's nerves.

She was also beautiful.

Watching her, Kyoko had initially been didn't change. But when Kyoko had fought her, she'd felt more alive than she'd had in months. Blood had rushed through her veins and she got a legitimate thrill, one that witch-hunting had failed to provide recently.

And Sayaka, well, her personality remained the same, and her infatuation with that boy, who didn't return her affections and didn't even seem to acknowledge all that she'd done for him. But she was still beautiful, and passionate, and Kyoko couldn't explain it. All she knew was that she had to see Sayaka again. Even if they ended up fighting, even if they could never see eye to eye, Kyoko found something in Sayaka that she knew she wouldn't find anywhere else.

Her plans had since changed. The fire she'd been enamoured with was fading, as shown in Sayaka's dulled eyes and demeanor of one who had lost all hope. And Kyoko couldn't stand it. It made her sick, actually sick to watch the deterioration of Sayaka.

Which is why she came to Mami.

Mami, who understood Sayaka's ideals better than Kyoko did. Mami, who Sayaka had held on a pedestal. Mami, who was dead, but who Kyoko hoped would inspire in her some way to help her friend. And she did consider Sayaka a friend, if only in her own mind.

"I'm...worried. There, I said it. I'm worried about this stupid girl, going off with her stupid sword and fighting any stupid familiar that comes her way. And lately… she's been looking so depressed, and so distracted, a witch could off her at any moment…

"I'm just asking you 'cause you're like, the best senpai. She really loved you. You were the model of an ideal magical girl." _I don't hold the same sway, she pretty much hates me. But I can work on that later. I'd rather her hate me than end up dead. _

"And I know that you're dead and can't answer but I was just hoping that coming back here would give me some idea of what to do, because you always seemed to know exactly what to do and exactly what was right. And I guess that you passed that on to Sayaka, except she doesn't know what's right. That idiot fights every familiar she comes across! You can't do that. I know that day by day she's getting more and more corrupted, I just don't know what to _do. _I try to tell her, it's impossible to save everyone, but…"

Kyoko paused, mid sentence. She thought over what she had just said. _It's impossible to save everyone… _

It had been a little while ago. Kyoko and Mami had just finished fighting a witch. It was cold, and they were bundled up in their jackets. They were talking about the same things, witches and familiars, and Kyoko said to her the exact same line.

It was only a little while later the same day that their friendship, and witch-fighting partnership, had split apart as well.

The memory stung, even so long afterwards.

"It's impossible to save everyone…" Kyoko repeated, this time muttering. "And that… that includes you too, Mami."

Kyoko had cried in a while. She'd been on the verge of doing so, when Homura had told her about Mami's death, but there had been no way she would've broken down in front of that creepy girl. She managed to suppress it since then.

Obviously things had changed. Now, she was crouched in front of Mami's door, covering her face and trying to catch the tears streaking down. She wasn't outright sobbing- yet. Although this point she didn't care who saw her. And there was no one around the apartment complex to do so.

Wind ruffled her hair once more, like a comforting pat. Except it wasn't, because all Kyoko wanted was for a real, live person to tell her it was okay. That she didn't have to be lonely anymore.

"I couldn't save you, Mami. I didn't even _know _you n-now I'm having a conversation with your door for God's sake, pretending that it's you because I never got a chance to talk to you before you died."

Her eyes rose to the door, to the nameplate, clinging to the only parts of Mami that were left. Not even a memorial service or newspaper mention, just an empty, lifeless apartment.

"You can't save everyone… but I have to save Sayaka, I have to! I couldn't help you Mami. And I'm sorry… but if there's any way for you to hear me, you've got to help me. Or if that's not enough… then do it for her. Because she doesn't deserve to die… like you…"

Shadows covered Kyoko, the sun unable to reach her anymore. The only remains of its light were the yellow and red clouds blending into the backdrop of the sky, and even those were fast disappearing into the night.

"Please, Mami… help me. I have to to find a way to save her, I have to-!" Kyoko choked on her words as she tried to force down her tears. It was pointless. She was so close to losing Sayaka, and there was no way this dead girl could help.

The door remained unlocked, almost inviting. But that was Mami's domain and Kyoko didn't deserve to go in there. She wasn't the same person Mami invited in on a cold winter night for some tea.

Had she still been alive, Mami still would've invited her in though. That made it even worse.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: The second part of the two-shot. Thank you to everyone who's read, reviewed, etc. **

Kyoko wondered how long she had been crouching in front of Mami's door. Time had slipped away from her, but the ache in her legs gave her a good clue.

She had since stopped crying, with only the fast-drying tear tracks on her cheeks remaining. Internally though, she felt the weak, tired feeling that comes from a long cry. Kyoko hated the feeling of being weak. Now she she remembered why she tried not to cry.

No matter how long she'd been there, though, Kyoko had essentially given up hope in the first fifteen minutes. She'd never really bought into the idea that Mami could magically send help, but instead hoped being near her senpai's former residence would spark an idea on how to help Sayaka, or at least convince her not to be so completely _depressed. _

Obviously nothing had come. Kyoko sighed and stood up, the soreness from staying stationary for so long resonating in her entire body. In hindsight, that was not a good idea.

Her final resort when it came to helping Sayaka was actually _talking _to her, legitimate face-to-face talking about feelings. Kyoko wasn't good at that, she'd never been good at that, and just wanted to fight or joke around with Sayaka. She'd attempted it before, and… well, feelings weren't the red-haired girl's forte. Clearly.

_I'm sure Kaname-san would help, but she can't understand Sayaka as well now, and Sayaka won't let her… and she's too preoccupied with Homura. _Kyoko snorted. _This is so frikken' complicated… _

"Sakura Kyoko."

Locks of red hair whipped Kyoko in the face as she turned, staring down at the fluffy, cat-like creature that had uttered her name. "What are you doing here, Kyuubey?"

Its tail flicked back and forth. "I could ask the same of you. What business do you have at Tomoe Mami's house?"

"Nothing that involves _you." _Kyoko muttered.

"I saw you have quite the emotional breakdown." Kyuubey continued, undeterred by Kyoko's pointed glare. "Quite the fuss- not something that I expected from you. I'll never understand humans…"

Kyoko didn't even bother to reply, starting to walk away from Mami's apartment. To her slight annoyance, Kyuubey followed.

"I suppose you're going to seek Miki Sayaka now?"

"Guess so."

"Her fate is sealed. I doubt you can help her now. Really, she can only help herself, and…" Kyuubey's round eyes stared at Kyoko, unblinking. "... that probably isn't going to happen."

"I think I have a chance."

"You know…" Kyuubey scampered around Kyoko's feet. "You and Tomoe Mami had a past relationship, correct? But it also ended in failure. It's strange that you would consider her help on the matter."

Kyoko's footsteps halted. "Mami was a great senpai," she said quietly. "I was the one who broke off our relationship." _And even if I didn't speak to her again, I'm still alive. That''s what counts. _

"Well, if you're planning on helping Miki Sayaka, I suggest doing it quickly. She is deteriorating even faster than I'd expected."

"Wha-? Why am I even talking to you? Just scram." A sharp kick was aimed in Kyuubey's direction, one that it neatly dodged. It seemed to get the message and darted around the corner without another word.

With Kyuubey gone, Kyoko halted and looked back at the apartment. It was just a stupid apartment- she could return to it whenever she wanted. But somehow she felt as though her (primarily one-sided) conversation with Mami was the end of their relationship. A closed door, if you will. Kyoko couldn't see any point in torturing herself further with reminders of her dead friend.

_Thank you, Mami… it was fun. It really was._

A boom of thunder echoed in the apartment complex, and the wind began swirling leaves around at an even more urgent pace. Kyoko heard rain begin to fall, gentle at first and then harsher and louder.

"I need to find Sayaka," she muttered, turning a corner and running away from the door, the nameplate, and and any reminders of Tomoe Mami.


End file.
